THE OPPOSITION Congress for Democratic Change has twice come close to winning the Liberian presidency with second place finishes, twice claiming to have the numerical advantage but still falling short of the majority needed to win the presidency.

IN TWO SEPARATE elections, the party riding on the wave, euphoria and popularity of a retired former world best footballer who during his prime was unmatched by his peers.

LAST WEEK, the party’s Chairman Mr. George Solo took matters into his own hands when he announced the suspension of Jefferson Koijee, leader of the party’s youth wing, whom many credit as being the key operative responsible for galvanizing youths in massive numbers for Weah.

ONE REPORT has it that Mr. Koijee, on the advice of Mr. Weah even turned down an opportunity to study in China.

KOIJEE BELIEVED in Weah and the ideals of the party which for the past two elections stood as a symbol of the youths of a post-war nation on the rebound.

ACCORDING TO THE PARTY, Koijee broke the rules by standing up to the two biggest leaders, chairman George Solo and political leader, George Weah. Koijee was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for what the party’s chair George Solo described as “grave offenses” found to be incompatible with the guiding principles and constitution of the party. “The party informs the public of the immediate suspension of Mr. Koijee, pending investigation, consistent with Part II Bye Laws; Chapter I, Codes of Conduct, Rule 14 of the Bye-Laws and constitution of the CDC,” read a statement signed by Solo last Wednesday.

THE SUSPENSION came hours after Koijee released a document to FrontPageAfrica he trumpeted as a statement he delivered at the national Vision 2030 deliberations in Gbarnga Nimba County. Koijee in his statement to the Vision 2030 gathering in Gbarnga highlighted some of the ills in the Liberian society that needs to be solved. “We must solve the real problems of Liberia including nepotism and tokenism if any kind of vision is to work for this country,” said Koijee. “There can be no magic wand to erase the accumulated years of hurt of leaders do not take sincere steps to solve them.”

WHAT MANY REMAIN baffled about is the fact that the ruling Unity Party has in recent weeks seen attacks on its own standard bearer and leader, incumbent Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf from the party’s Secretary General Wilmot Pay

IN SUSPENDING KOIJEE, the CDC may have lost its soul and could be on the verge of losing a young man who sacrificed the last few years of his life to a cause as a soldier to a man he believed was from his own upbringing and shared similar traits and beliefs.

FOR QUESTIONING Weah’s appointment as Peace Ambassador in the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration, Koijee committed the ultimate sin by standing up to Weah and Solo. “We cannot be real in our desire to unify Liberians if we name one opposition leader as a peace emissary, no matter how loved he may be, if the public still see one person being named to three prominent governmental positions only because he is the son of the President,” said Koijee.

IN KOIJEE’S DEFENCE, both the youth wing and the party’s USA branch have come to his aid, urging the party hierarchy to rescind the suspension.

WE AGREE with both elements of the party that Koijee should be allowed to speak his mind and reinstated in the party. The alternative could not be further from the truth that if this suspension hold, we could staring down at the beginning of the end of the party that could have one day won the presidency but fell short of endurance, tolerance and a lack of understanding about the basics of politics which has led many African leaders on the wrong side of democracy and on the wrong side of the masses on whose shoulders they rode to power.